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Midwest Living Holiday Gift Guide 2013

The criteria are simple—quality, style, value and a connection to our region—but narrowing down is never easy! We’ve told a few of the gifts’ fascinating stories here, but rest assured, Midwest ingenuity and creativity inspired all 48 products on our list.

Linnea’s Lights candles Soy candles from mother-daughter team Lynn Manley and Laura Cler in Carmel, Indiana, have delightfully natural aromas. One sniff of peony, and you’ll be transported to a backyard in May. From $16. (317) 324-4002; oliverstwistllc.com

Unwrap the Midwest

Barnwood trays Omaha-based Dan Vollmer salvages Iowa and Nebraska barnwood to craft rustic trays in a variety of sizes; each has the barn’s story on the back. From $35. (402) 510-1711; barnwoodtrays.com

American Spoon Michigan Wild Craft Collection

Hand-foraged fruits and honey take American Spoon’s always-luscious preserves further into the realm of utter jammy bliss. Flavors in the five-jar set include brandied wild blackberries, elderberry jelly and more. $80. (888) 735-6700; spoon.com

J.R. Watkins sink set

You probably know them for their vanilla extract, but the historical Winona, Minnesota, company also makes natural bath and body products, like this lemon-scented set of hand soap and lotion made for showing off by the kitchen sink. $17.99. (800) 243-9423; jrwatkins.com

Tasty treasures

Chicago’s Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread and Wine sells a beautiful Best of the Midwest gift box with products from around the region. The variety changes occasionally, but here’s what will likely come in your box. $69.99 (800) 721-4781; pastoralartisan.com

Clockwise from top left: Marieke Gouda: a mild and slightly sweet cheese from Holland’s Family Cheeses in Thorp, Wisconsin; Prairie Breeze: a sharp cheddar with crumbly, crystallized texture from Milton Creamery in Milton, Iowa; Little Napoleon: a pungent goat’s milk cheese from Zingerman’s Creamery in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Caraway Rye Crackers: a crisp canvas for any cheese, from Potter’s Crackers in Madison, Wisconsin; Single-source Honey: a sweet treat from one of 17 Minnesota hive locations, from Ames Farm in Watertown.

Unique Art Pendants bracelets

Molly Spilane of Minneapolis calls her trove of jewelry and home accessories “lovingly odd.” We think her nature-inspired graphic brass cuff bracelets are just plain lovely. From $30. uniqueartpendants.etsy.com

Jechory Glass Designs planter

Michelle Lindgren of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, solders glass and metal to make gemlike terrariums for trendy air plants. Included sand and decorative pebbles finish the look. (Because the package includes a live plant, open and set up the terrarium upon arrival.) $40. jechoryglassdesigns.etsy.com

Tru Fragrance perfume

Fragrance pros use fancy gear to capture the scents of flowers in Chicago’s parks and planters and mix them to create signature Windy City perfumes. The first edition (shown) was so popular that they’ve recently issued a second. From $20. (800) 443-3000; shop.trufragrance.com

Stormy Kromer Carryall bag

This roomy wool bag (the size of a small gym bag) comes from the Ironwood, Michigan, company best known for winter caps. The reinforced bottom and sturdy handles easily withstand heavy loads. $119. (888) 455-2253; stormykromer.com

Manhattan Toy Cheese Chase game

The first mouse team to reach the cheese wins in this simple stocking stuffer from a Minneapolis toy company. Parents will especially appreciate that the game can be as long (or blessedly short) as they want. $6. (800) 541-1345; manhattantoy.com

Crosley Radio

Add a splash of retro style to your home with the sleek Ranchero, manufactured by a legendary Cincinnati sound company that’s now based in northern Kentucky. A hidden port allows you to connect an MP3 player. $99.95. (866) 276-7539; crosleyradio.com

The Social Dept. T-shirts

Hand-printed in Ohio, these soft tees (available for every state and in other designs, too) strike just the right balance between Midwest pride and hipster snark. Adult and children’s sizes available. $25. thesocialdept.com

Morphology game

Imagine Pictionary, but instead of drawing, you use items like string and glass beads to build what’s written on the card. Created in Minnesota, this party game is harder than it sounds, but had us on the floor laughing. Available in a junior version, too. $15. amazon.com

Uusi playing cards

We were mesmerized by the Baroque-style art on these top-quality playing cards sold by Linnea Gits and Peter Dunham, founders of a Chicago design studio. They would be a striking addition to any card game or coffee table. $15. (773) 576-8220; uusi.us

K. Hall Designs bath salts

Kelley Hall-Barr and husband John crank out heavenly scented bath salts (and home fragrance products) at their sprawling Deco-style retail store and warehouse in Brentwood, Missouri. It’s a great spot to stock up on hostess gifts. $25. (314) 961-1990; khalldesigns.com

Craftmade Toffee

We tried several flavors of Minnesotan Steve Kippels’ toffee, including one studded with caramel corn. All delish, but it’s hard to beat a perfectly executed classic: almond with dark chocolate. From $12 for 8 ounces. (952) 807-3724; craftmadetoffee.com

Bittercube bitters

We had a blast experimenting with these six flavors of bitters developed in Milwaukee. One of our fave combos: A few drops of the cherry bark add sweet depth to bourbon. $52. (405) 410-3837; bittercube.com

Archer Air Superiority collection

Confession: We ordered this trio of manly room sprays as sort of a joke. But all three scents-—European sports car, distillery and hunting lodge—are actually great! Created in Chicago, they’re a fun not-quite-gag-gift for guys on your list. $42 for a set of three. archermen.com

Hoosier Bat Company baseball bats

Quality draws Major League Baseball players to this Indiana company. The top-selling HB105 ash bat will leave your slugger feeling like a pro. Available in 32-, 33- and 34-inch lengths. $60. (800) 228-3787; hoosierbat.com

A city, stamped

One of the many shining lights in the resurgence of Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood is Steam Whistle Letterpress and Design. Founder Bryan Stuparyk funnels his passion for Queen City architecture into Paper Neighborhood, a 21-piece stamp set that lets you design your own urban facade. Make stationery or prints—or just have fun getting your architect on. $52. steamwhistlepress.com